Improvement in the method of propelling steam and other vessels



N. PETERS. PHOWUTMOGRAFHER. WASHINGTON. Div()V UNITED STATES PATENTGruen.

GABRIEL HIPPOLYTE MOREAU, OF PARIS,FRANGE.

IMPROVEMENT iN THE METHOD OF PROPELLING STEAM AND OTHER VESSELS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 3,1 il-l, dated January2G, ISI-fi.

To all 107mm it may concern.:

Be it known that I, GABRIEL HIPPOLYTE MOREAU, of the city of Paris, inthe Kingdom of France, have invented a new and Improved Mode of DirectMover Applied to thc Navigation bySteam; and I do hereby declare thatthe following is a full and exact description thereof.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I willproceed to describe its construction andpoperation.

Figure l, Plate l, presents the plan of the apparatus. This apparatus isplaced in the hold of the vessel, except the pallet or propellerdestined to act on the water with its accessories. It is outside in thehind part. As to the ship being not the object of the description, onesees but the outline U U U U U U being the keel, gurated here from themainmast io the fore part of the rudder. It is agreed I have nothingtoprescribe relating its form. The apparatus will indicate well enough thedispositions that the hold must present to receive it.

C is the horizontal cylinder of the steamengine. Its axis must be alittle above and more often below t-he plan of the floating, accordingto the various cases I will furtherindicate, parallel to the keel andexactly above.

B B B B are two connecting -rods attached to the piece which is seen inB, up

the head of the piston-rod and movable on the iron pins B B. Theextremities B B of the connecting-rods are attached in the same way tothe two ends, the nearest of the system of levers B B, D D resemblingwhat is called a zigzagf and which is seen in certain playthings to setin motion soldiers, ttc., by unfolding and folding again the system.

For the future I will call bar i each of the levers B I B I', the.,which compose the system in question.

C is the chief bolt, fixed upon one of the keelsons or railway and otherpieces which will be used to support the apparatus and give solidity tothe bottom of the ship. Thatstrong bolt serves as au axle or leaningpoint, on which move the bars B I B I, which cross in C.

Q is a frame attached by the same pin which unites the extremities ofthe bars D Q D Q. At this saine frame-crossing Q are fixed the ends e eof the rods ef ef, which are prolonged without at the hind part,crossing the scutchcon by tow-boxes, which prevent the introduction ofthe wat-er into the ship. This frame is carried and rolls on rollers tosoften the friction on the railways.

G G,Fig. l, Ilate 2, is a traverse or shaft, to which are bolted the twoother ends ff of the rods ef ef. This shaft G G is terminated in a T ateach of its ends, which slide between the sleepers 7L h l l', so that tolet them be seen the upper sleepers are supposed to be taken off. Eachextremity of these ends in the form of T is furnished, as we see, with agrooved roller working between flat iron bands fixed to the internalborders of the sleepers we have just spoken of and maintaining theposition of the shaft.

it is a piece of timber crossing the hole, and which can be accompaniedof many others according to the wants to maintain and consolidate thesleepers 7L 7i andi Z. Itis useless to say these sleepers can be more orless near and consequently enter into the ship or find themselvesexternally on the sides. It is needless, too, to indicate they must beperfectly consolidated and fix invariably their dista-nce.

Plate 3 presents the whole of the sleepers with the cross-piece ortraverses which make it tight, and thebar A B, which at the outsideextremity of the sleepers assure the perfect parallelism.

I will show just now (llate 2, Figs. l and 2) how the pallet having itsplan vertical is attached to the shaft G G and which are its conditionsand play. Till then let us consider but the shaft G G without theaccessories.

I have figured in the steam-engine but the cylinder C, without theaccessories and other parts of those sorts of engines, since they areperfectly known. I willfurthcr indicate some new conditions favorable tothe employment in quest-ion.

For greater easiness and before any other complication ot' ideas, let usnow consider the mode of action of that apparat-us. In Plate l, Fig. l,the steam arriving under the piston the end of the rod-makerworks thepiece B toward V. By this movement the connecting-rods B B B B" push theends B B of the bars C B C B, and the main bolt C being fixed the systemB B D D is unfolded, as is indicated by the dotted lines, so that when Bis in V the points B B D D of the ness of the shutters and of the frame.

' be as much loss for the course.

vsystem have followed the movement and are in b b d d. It is obvious,besides, that by this unfolding the piece Q, working alone, (see it nowin Q,) the rods which are fixed to it and which bear at theirextremities exterior the transversal shaft G G cause that shaft to workparallel with itself, and also the pallet itself which is attached toit, as we shall see, and which being in a vertical position strikes thewater in the hind part. Thus the ship is solicited to work forward.

Let us pass to the pallet, Plate 2,Figs. l and 2. As I have said, it isattached to the shaft G G. Its surface on the side M-that is to say,that surface which is to strike the water-is seen in Fig. 2, which showsthe pallet in elevation. h 71, l Z are the ends of the sleepers, betweenwhich on each side are seen the dovetailed brackets of which I have justspoken. G G is the shaft. It forms the upper side of a frame K K K K.This frame is filled with a certain number of doors or shutte-rs P P P,turning on the hinges or pivots u 'a u. It can be consolidated by somebuttress going to the rods or to the branches which bear the dovetailedbrackets. In f f are square ends or other forms of the rods e f ef' ofFig. l, fixed on the shaft by means of plates and bolts or strongscrews, or otherwise. Let us understand these doors withoutstopping-that is to say, being able to open indistinctly within orwithout. If they are barred on the side of the boat, so' as not beingpermitted to open on that side, the apparatus unfolding they will strikethe water and will remain closed by its resistance. It must be so,indeed, to have the boat going forward. On the contrary, the apparatusfolding again by the opposite course of the piston and bringing back theframe of the shutters, these last will be immediately opened by theresistance of the water in a contrary sense, and the surface ofresistance is then limited to the thick- This surface is insignificant,the frame being always iron and the shutters in brass of two or threemillimeters thick, or about the sixth part of an inch. Each shuttershould be allowed twenty or twenty-five centimeters only width, or abouteight or nine inches. The larger they should be the greater space theyshould have to run to shut, and that should It is couvenientl to takethe precaution to have them shut more or less before the end of theirreturning course, near the ship for that purpose. The shutters stretchbackward beyond their pivots, as is seen in g g g, when they arrive near the end of the course near the ship. These prolongings of theshutters meet in the convenientsense. The obstacles P P P', whichpresenti-hem, are inclined surfaces, so that the shutters are forced toturn on vtheir pivots andv to shut to acertain point. The apparatusunfolding anew, the resistance of the water terminates immediately theirshutting. The 0bstacles P P P can be placed on a cross-piece g g', thetwo ends of which will be fixed on the sleepers. To work backward, thisbar should embarrass, because the shutters should meet it too soon.Being open on that side, it must then be movable. Two or threetransversal bars will prevent the shutters, as I have said, to open onthe side of the ship. The necessary cuts will be'made on the projectingparts g g g of the shut-ters for the placing of the bars. One has veryseldom to work backward. However, one must conceive that it should besufficient to bar the shutters on the opposite side, for then they wouldstrike the water in contrary sense during the refolding of theapparatus. There will be intermittence, as is understood, in the actionof the pallet, for the pistons course in one sense makes it act inunfolding the apparatus. In the other sense the course will only bringit back by refolding the same apparatus. Then to bring it back whenempty, it is evident asmall part of the force is sufficient. The enginemight then be to simple effect and high pressure.

By means of the condenser the single atmospheric pressure should refoldthe apparatus, and thus procure an economy of about a half. One couldalso dispense even condenser, and working to simple effect trust to aflier the empty course. At length,one may use the detent of the steam,introducing only the necessary quantity for so weak an effect. I havejust spoken of the empty course, and I will stop on a very importantobservation on this account. It is that at the end of this empty courseor return there should be an enormous shock, should nothing be disposedto prevent it. In fact, a considerable mass, animated with a greatvelocity, could not be stopped instantly without a very violent shock.avoided. The surest means is to have the returning course operatedslowly; but it is not only sufficient for that to open very little thecock of introduction of the steam into the cylinder, for the activecourse should resent it, and in that course the Velocity is to belimited only by the resistance of the water to the pallet. I then openpretty much the ordinary introducing-cock, but I put a second cockbetween the regulating-drawers and the end of the cylinder where steammust come in to. op-

erate the returning course, so that to come toit the steam is forced topass through this second cock. I open it very little and diminish atwill the returning course by this means without influence on the activecourse. The relenting which is mentioned, by means of the cock I haveadded, is necessaryv not only to prevent the shock, but still todiminish the resistance of the water. In fact, though thestriking-surface in the return be very little, the pieces presentingtheir edge side, the resistance should still be considerable enough ifthe quickness was not insignificant. vIt is easy to conceive that to beable to work backward with the same advantage it should be necessary toestablish two Such an inconvenience must then bev ,have by trying agreater course than that which the shock can furnish them and cannotthen be broken by it.

Learned mechanicians think that intermittence in the action of the forcefor the shock isadvantageous, and they found themselves upon its beingadmitted by nature for all the swimming animals. However, we shallobserve that intermittence can be avoided,if one prefers it. It issufficient to cast ones eyes on Fig. l of Plate to get vconvicted thatthere is but to double the system. By means of a common beam B twocylinders C C will alternately put two or vmore pallets in motion. Thesteam will never go but on one side of the piston in each cylinder, andforthe contrary course a piston will bring back the other-that is tosay, that which unfolds an apparatus refolds the other in the meantime.One will easily understand that a single cylinder working in doubleeffect can also make alternately act the two systems by easymodifications in the accessories. The shaft G G, Plates l, 2, and 3,Fig. l, can be prolonged to the two ends without the sleepers. Otherpallets can be adapted to it by prolonging of the plane of that which isbetween the sleepers. It is evident that one can also establish one orseveral pallets lateral to the ship connected with the system of theothers by rods, which will tie them to the prolonging of the shaft G G.Sleepers or keelsons will also guide these lateral and posteriorpallets. In short, the shaft G G prolonged cranked, modified accordingto the want, furnishes the means to work pallets striking the water by asurface, as it were, as'

extended as can be wished. rlhe crank in dividing the pallets presentsthe advantage of dividing the surge without losing' anything of thepushed surface.

Relating to the pallet, I must still observe they can be of many kinds.For instance, the number of the small shutters can be diminished. It issufficient for that to give them more extent in length andto articulatethem to their upper edge, or to the two ends, or to their lower edge. During the useful course the shutter remains close, and in the retu rningcourseit opens and takes a horizontal or vertical position, as the casemay be, by the resistance of the water. It is good, however, that alight spring or weight brings it back and maintains it in this positiontill about the end of the returning course. An obstacle analogous to P PP of Fig. l, Plate obliges it to lower and close in great part, theresistance of the water ending quickly to shut it as soon as the usefulcourse begins again. One can put a shutter above and one under theshaft, and even multiply them enough that they' have each a small width,as is seen at f Fig. 3, Plate 2, and Fig. 2, Plate 5. l-Vhen it is onlyquestion of some centimeters of draft, the cylinder, the system oflevers, and the rods shall be disposed in such a way that the shaft GG', Plate 2, Figs. l and 2, finds itself in the height of the floatingline and then the pallet is entirely below the shaft.

1n the different cases it is convenient lto make, so that the shaft G Gis immersedat a depth of half the height which will be given to thepallet, so as to have a same number of shutters above and below thisshaft-plate 2, Fig. 5, Plate 5, Fig. 2. It is in orderthat the resultingof the resistance of the water be in the same plan of the shaft and ofthe rods which tie it tothe system of levers. lVithout this precautionthe friction would be enormous to the dovetailed brackets which roll onthe sleepers, the resistance aiming to make them basculate if it tookplace but under or above the shaft G G.

I have above given the description ofthe wooden sleepers. Plate l, Fig.l, represents iron sleepers, which can be substituted for wood sleepers,.if one likes it better. They are connected and made solid among suchother bythe iron bar R S, which maintains this invariable distance. 'lheupper sleeper is supposed to be taken off to exhibit the under one withthe brackets. Fig. 3 of Plate 2 shows them in profile. The brackets rollon these sleepers. Joints may also be disposed in X X to raise up thewhole system backward against the hind plate.

The pallet-plate 2, Fig. 3, is composed of a quantity of shutters, whichcan be increased or diminished both as to number and dimension. Theseshutters articulate on a joint at their upper edge in the vertical barsof the pallet, and are free to move on each side of the frame whichcontains them. This condition is essential for propelling forward andbackward.

Fig. 1,Plate l, presents the system ready to set the ship in motionforward. For this purpose there is a double frame G G and G G", withvertical rods in each, so disposed as to correspond with the outer edgesof the shutters of the pallet, which is between the two frames,connected and maintained in their position vertical and parallel to thesaid pallet by horizontal cross-pieces. These cross-pieces alwayspreserve the distance of each frame a little more than the width of oneof the shutters of the pallet.

In the drawings, the face G G of the double frame is against the pallet.Parallel to the rods ef ef are two other rods connected at their end g gby a piece of iron P, placed on the frame Q and attach ed to the doubleframe by their other end 7L 72.. It is seen that by maintaining theposition of the pieces as Fig'. I presents them the pallet meeting theobstacles on the side of the ship will strike the water from T to V andwill push the ship forward. For the contrary effect, it is sufficient toslide the piece P backward to Q, equal to the width between the frames.By shifting the iron bar P from t' t' to e" 'i' the frame G G will bebrought against the pallet, which prevents the shutters from openingwhen the pallet toward the stern of the vessel, thus propelling thevessel backward. The rods g h g 7L, which serve as guides to the doubleframe, pass through tow-boxes and will have, like those which hold thepallet, joints which will permit them to lift up with the sleepers.

In Plate 3, Fig. l, and Plate 5, Fig. 2, one sees a pallet of anotherkind. Itis formed of a frame containing shutters allowed to go eitherforward or backward, as it has al read y been described; but for thispallet itis sufficient to place the obstacles or bars, Figs. 3, 4, and 5of Plate 5, toward the stem of the ship to propel forward, or on theother side to propel backward. These obstacles or bars slide easily upand down in the cramp-iron or staples i; n for that purpose in thecrosspieces of the frame. Fig. 1 of Plate 5 presents the same pallet inplan with the same obstacles, but divided into three parts on its width.By this means one finds the advantage of shortening the sleepers of allthe parts thrown backward and to bring nearer the ship the moment ofdeparture of the pallet. For each of the above systems two keelsonshaving iron rails are placed as much to consolidate the bottom of theship or boat as to receive the rails on which the system of levers slidein unfolding and refolding, and also to receive the brackets of theframe. A brace above the system will equally be necessary to prevent itsbending in raising by the effort and resistance. The bolts thatarticulate vthe system should be very cylindrical and polished in orderto make the function of brackets. The head will be above and a key underwill maintain them. The section of the upper end will bear a littlecavity, in which there will be poured oil, which from 'thence willspread, sliding along the bolt and will lubricate the articulation.There will be brass disks between the bars of the system to theirarticulations, the bolts passing through these disks. These disks areeasy to supply. They soften the rubbing, and prevent the contact of thebars. Their lasting is, as it were, endless', since the force acts notat all in the sense of their rubbing. The yholes of the bars will besupplied with brass rings for the same object. Let us say the same aboutthe holes receiving the axis or pivots of the shutters of the pallet.These rings are made of ends of tubes, which cost almost nothing and caneasily be supplied, since they are introduced only byrubbing and withoutrivet. Besides, it is easy to understand that in that apparatus therubbings are reduced to very little, though one is inclined to judgeotherwise at first sight. In fact, the rubbing of the articulating-boltswith the bars does not go to two centimeters of running per second. Thepassage of the rods through the towboxes is made by soft rubbing andtows well greased. The rubbing of the brackets on the iron bands xed tothe sleepers, keelsons, or railway seems to present a great importanceon account of the velocity of several meters a second; but one mustconsider that the rubbing of the brackets must not be assimilated tothat of a piece of metal sliding on another. lith brackets'the metalscan neither adhere nor tear each other. Still more, here the thingshappen in the water, and the small quantity of liquid which is forcedbetween the brackets and the band on which it rolls prevents to acertain point their contact. lVater would but favor their adherence andtearing in another sort of rubbing, but here it is a body the variouspoints of which are successively superposed to those of another, andwhich, properly speaking, do not slide.

In the system of levers which presents Fig. l, Plate l, there are twocrossings of bars or levers and two half-crossings. One sees two barsfor each, but one must conceive three, so there is one exactly parallelto B I below, and that the plan wont let see, so that the bar B I isbetween B I and that marked by B I. If there were but two bars for eachcrossing, the forces acting in contrary sense, as indicates the arrows,Fig. 2, the bolt would be forced to take the position lZ Z'. On thecontrary, when there are three bars, two of which are moved in one senseand that of the middle in the other, Fig. 3, nothing like can takeplace. By the same motive the ends of the connecting-rods B B and B Bare articulated between the bars C B and C B, which are seen, and thoseplaced parallelunder them and which cannot be seen in plan. The ends ofthe bars B I, I D, and D Q are also between the two bars superposed B II D, and D Q. It is understood that a movable floor by parts will coverthe'whole system till the tow-boxes fixed to the scutcheon and whichgive way to the rods. The thickness of that system being very small, ittakes but very little place in the ship. It passes under the mizzen-mastin the ships with sails and does not go so far as theA manmast. As thesystem has nothing frail, there shall be rarely need to raise some partsof the ooring to reach it and make reparation. Even theboilers and theiraccessories maybe placed above this flooring. Therefore, if one preferit, they will be upon bearings which do not prevent even the opening ofthe flooring in need.

I do not believe it necessary to enter into long details to show thesuperior advantages of my system by comparing it with the pad-(lle-wheels. Plenty books have already been written on the inconvenienceof these Wheels. It is generally admitted that the transformation of therectilinear into rotative costs the half of the force spent withoutV anyprofit.

My system does not at all give occasion to that transformation. Onecannot de better than to act immediately in the very direction of thepiston. The obliquity of the paddle is considered as another canse ofconsiderable loss of force. M y pallet is vertical and strikes the waterin working horizontal, and always parallel to itself it is impossible toavoid more completely any Obliquity. Everybody agrees that the extend ofthe paddles is naturally too small; that the greater should be the surface which is to strike the water the greater advantage there shouldbe. In my system nothinglimitates that surface but the depth of thewater and the width of the river, as it were, if one is on the river. Itis not possible to be more at ease on that score. The enormous bulk ofthe wheels, with their paddle-boxes on both sides of a ship, presentsthe gravest inconveniences. Here are the principalembarrassnients-resistan ce offered to the wind, obstacle to the armingand stowiiig, difficulty in pointing the guns according to the want,necessity of giving small width to the ship, the. IVith my system thesides of the ship are perfectly free. She can be rigged as usual, usesails, dic. The external part of the apparatus is at the hind part andcan rigorously be wholly immersed. These remarks, to which I stick, canalso furnish points of comparison with the other systems which have beentried to supply the paddle-wheels. I have no right here to speak aboutit. One shall observe that it has not been sufficient to apply thezigzag to the use in question. It was still necessary to improve it, andamong the rest by putting three bars to the levers for each crossing.There is by my system without Catchings neither rotative nor circularmovement, neither in the whole, as by wheels and by the Archiinedeanscrew, nor in parts, as by the vertical or horizontal oars, by theapparatus palmipeds, by the pallets moved by means of endless ropes orchains.

Being to neglect nothing of what contributes to a perfect knowledge ofthe system which is the object of this memoir, I will add sometheoretical remarks to what I said about it. IVe shall call D E ahalf-crossing, as E F, F C, II I, and I J, Plate '-i, Fig. I. It issufiicient to examine the system to understand that the course of thepallet shall be equal to as many piston course as there are twocrossings on one side or the other of the zigzag'. There are sinin theactual case, and thus the course of the pallet is equal to six` timesthe course of the piston. It is nevertheless but an approximation. Infact, let it be a triangle isosceles, Plate l, Fig. 2, a Z) c, whosebase is a b, and let it be a line D E passing by the top and by themiddle of the base. It' we bear c in c and the base a h in a h', so thatthe line D E be in the saine conditions for the triangle c Ct b', it isobvious that the distance e e equals c c', but if a h, instead of beingrigid, is broken in e, or what comes to the saine, if c o, and e harticulate in c on a same fixed main pin, as the point e will not beable to move when we bring c in e', e e will take the position e a and eh the position e o, then the distance e e e e. In this case, therefore,if c c represent the piston course, the pallet having gone from the linea h on the line Ct h, shall have run the distance e e e e', orgreaterthan the piston course c c. The difference is c e e or h, in which isthe difference between the piston course and the sine b gef the angle Z1e g. One may then Say, also, that the course of the pallet in this caseis equal to the sine b g of the angle b e g. Not to lose sight of thepiston course, we shall say that that course being I, and designing h mby d, we shall have here for thel course c of the pallet czI-l- In thecontinuation of the zigzag, if we add a crossing of bar to what we havejust considered, during the same piston-course these bars will take theposition (Wf and 7)f, and the pallet, supposed at firstin U, Z), withthe whole system williinditselt' on the line ff. Then the distance c ois evidently double of c e. The pallet will then have run a distanceequal to three times c e-that is, equal to three times what it had runin the preceding case, and the formula crI-lwill become herec=3+df It isto say that the course of the pallet is equal to as many times thepiston course as there are halves of crossings of hars on the. one orthe other side of the zigzag more as `l many times df In general, let itbe n, the

number of the halves of crossings on one side, and (Z expressing alwaysb m when the pisyn. ton course is l. e shall have czit-tvalue of thecourse ofthe pallet in course of the piston, or, otherwise, c z n, sine, e indicating the angle h e b. sition of the system so as to unfold itby drawing and not by pushing', one should change thesign, and we shouldhavecznm As to the force, let it be F equal force of the engine or ofthe piston; l, piston course or its velocity; c, pallet course orvelocity; f, force to the pallet. We shall have f: since the force isreciprocal to the velocity.

I think I must forward an observation which could be made at iirst sighton theniomentuins of the levers. Those nionientums vary; but thevariation takes place as well on the side of resistance as on the sideof power, and in general they are even more favorable to this last one,as can be proved by an attentive examination I need not demonstratehere. To have neither to work in water nor to retire the pallet, theshaft and the accessions in want, one may adjust the parts of thesleepers, which pass at the hind part, joining If one changed the dispo`them with the parts which are either lateral and exterior' to the shipor internal. One can even fix a strong joint to the junctions of theupper sleepers, so as to have only to rise up the ends h l of thesleepers to have soon the pallet above the Water. Nothing` is more easythan consolidating the junction, so as to make the upper and lowersleepers solid.

In the present memoir we had not to bus)` ourselves aboutthe moving'force of the system or apparat-us said direct mover. We shall only saythat steam, as all other movers applied till this dayand those which maybe discovered vfor the future, can be used with success and Without anyinconvenience.

Having thus stated the nature ofthe invention and the manner of making'and using thev same, Iwould have it understood that I do notclaimpropellng vessels by means of reciprocating paddles; but

What I do claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. The method herein described of causing the paddles at the end of thereturn-stroke to assume a position inclined to the plane of theirmotion, so that on starting the resistance of the water shall close themby the combination of the paddles or shut-ters q q q, with the obstaclesor inclined surfaces p p p', for the purpose and in the mannerdescribed, whether the paddles or shutters be attached to vertical orhorizontal axles. t

2. The shiftingot' the baragainst which the shutters or paddles fold, sothat the paddles can be made to act in backing the vessel when desired,as herein described.

G. H. MOREAU.

Witnesses:

D. LATTE,y EW; TUPPER NoRvILLE.

